Many ways to measure Detroit Lions' improvement, but we saw 2 huge signs Wednesday

The banners sum up the story of the Detroit Lions.

Four of them hang prominently in the Allen Park indoor practice facility: 1935 NFL Championship, 1952 NFL Championship, 1953 NFL Championship and 1957 NFL Championship.

And if that makes you think — “Good grief, that’s a long time ago!” — you have ample reason.

But there is one more banner on that wall. Tucked in the corner. It’s brand new and reads: North Division Champions 2023.

Which feels like a blast of fresh air in a stale old museum.

And it’s far classier that what I woulda put up: “Freakin' admit it: ya messed up. Taylor Decker was eligible!”

But I digress.

Now, I can already hear the cynics question if the Lions should celebrate a division championship? Heck yes, when it has been 30 seasons.

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It’s tangible reminder of what has changed. But there is another way to measure how this franchise has changed. Five Lions were named to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday night, and seven more were named alternates (some of the alternates will likely replace injured players or those in the Super Bowl, unless ... ).

To try to put that into perspective, consider the Lions had just two Pro Bowlers after the 2015 season (Calvin Johnson and Ezekiel Ansah), one in 2016 (Matt Prater), two in 2017 (Darius Slay and T.J. Lang), two in 2018 (Slay and Don Muhlbach) and two in 2019 (Kenny Golladay and Slay).

The point is obvious. This roster has improved significantly across the board.

You can see the results in that new banner on that wall, and you can find even more evidence in the list of latest Pro Bowlers: rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, right tackle Penei Sewell, center Frank Ragnow, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and special teams player Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

The seven alternates include rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs (first alternate), receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (first), quarterback Jared Goff (second), left guard Jonah Jackson (third), running back David Montgomery (fourth), return man Kalif Raymond (fourth) and linebacker Alex Anzalone (fifth).

The Pro Bowl list represents change

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That list includes players from offense, defense and special teams. Seven seasons ago, the Lions had one Pro Bowler — Prater. And not to be mean, but when your only Pro Bowler is a kicker, your roster is not exactly overflowing with talent.

But here is another thought: For the most part, it’s a bunch of young players, a core that you continue to build around. Which is how you sustain success.

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The Lions’ five Pro Bowl selections this season are their most since 2014 and tied for the franchise' second-most in the Super Bowl era.

Put another way: General manager Brad Holmes is doing a heck of a job bringing in talent.

Of the 12 players honored on Wednesday, only three were drafted by former general manager Bob Quinn: Ragnow, Reeves-Maybin and Jackson. All the rest are Holmes’ guys.

Clearly, he is building this the right way.

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Much is made of Holmes' drafts but three of the Pro Bowl alternates were free-agent pickups: Montgomery, Raymond and Anzalone. The final one, Goff, came from the Matthew Stafford trade.

That’s how you build a roster: drafting, free agency and trades.

And Hutchinson is the first Lions defensive player to be named to the Pro Bowl since Slay four seasons ago.

Now, you can see some more defensive players on the horizon. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alim McNeill or even Brian Branch made this list next year.

McNeill, by the way, is back from injury.

"He’ll be fresh, have fresh legs and a fresh energy about him, so it’s good," coach Dan Campbell said.

Yes, all of this seems fresh and new.

Getting talent and coaching 'em up

These Pro Bowlers, as well as the alternates, represent so many important points.

It’s a reflection of the front office working to find players.

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It’s a reflection of how the front office and the coaching staff are aligned — because if the front office thinks a player has talent, but he doesn’t fit what the coaches want, the disconnect can be painful.

And finally, it’s a reflection of how these players have been coached up.

Take Gibbs. Yes, he came to Detroit with immense, natural, instinctive talent. But he is still improving.

"I think that he's seeing it a lot better," running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said. "He also recognizing fronts not only in protection, but in the run game. He's seeing the second level through the front, which is something that generally happens a little bit later on. ... So he's speeding up in protection and in the run game because of his mind."

It’s not a stretch to think Gibbs will be playing in the Pro Bowl next year, if he stays healthy and continues to improve. That would be significant because the Lions haven’t had a Pro Bowl running back since Barry Sanders.

Every one of these players has an interesting story.

But consider Raymond.

The Lions signed him to a one-year, $1.12 million deal in March 2021. A year later, he signed a two-year extension for $5 million. This August, he signed a two-year, $10.5 million extension that cleared $1.275 million in cap space in 2023.

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So, the Lions didn’t just find talent.

They are finding creative ways to keep it and work within the cap.

Which is going to be the next phase of this team.

Many of these players are on their rookie deal. Soon, Holmes will have to figure out how to keep them all.

But that’s a worry for another day.

Let’s just enjoy in the idea of a team with talent for a change.

Not to mention a cool, brand, spankin' new banner.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.

To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

Next up: Vikings

Matchup: Lions (11-5) vs. Minnesota (7-9), regular-season finale.

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday; Ford Field, Detroit.

TV/radio: Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: Lions by 3.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' improvement: Pro Bowl may be biggest sign yet